Masa Depan Ritel: Tren untuk 2023

Retail is undergoing a major technology reshaping, and this trend will continue this year.

Consumer data protection remains a major concern for retailers, particularly in an age of evolving data privacy laws and cyberattacks.

Focusing on personalized customer experiences will be key to differentiating physical retail from e-commerce shopping.

This article is for retailers who want to keep abreast of the major trends affecting the retail industry this year.

Just as remote office hybrid work arrangements are becoming more common, retail business is increasingly becoming hybrid. The lines between brick and mortar and e-commerce are now blurring, and in this thriving retail environment, many entrepreneurs are wondering how best to position their small business for a prosperous year. Industry experts provide their forecasts for retail trends for your consideration this year.

Technology will continue to shape retail

Technology has always changed the retail environment, from creating self-service kiosks in stores to fueling the e-commerce boom. However, with the rapid development of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning — and the need for retailers to stand out from the e-commerce crowd — technology adoption is becoming more urgent.

Recovery Key Tip: Looking for more retail insights? Learn more about the international future of retail in this Savoo report on how the space will evolve around the world.

Online shopping has become more important than ever.

The rate of business owners opening e-commerce stores and online shopping has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this trend has continued in the post-pandemic era.

“Companies that put e-commerce at the heart of their business strategy are ready for the post-COVID-19 era,” said Yumi Castro, founder and CEO of e-commerce platform Inveon. “There is a huge opportunity for industries that are still more accustomed to physical shopping, such as FMCG and pharmaceuticals.”

Even an actual retailer has to put up with some semblance of an e-commerce presence. Many consumers prefer to shop from their homes or on the go. Consider offering the best-selling items on your e-commerce store to give your customers the option to buy your most popular products without visiting your physical site.

Retailers reduce packaging waste.

With consumers becoming more environmentally aware, look to retailers and brands to reduce packaging waste, said Anthony Martin, CEO of Choice Mutual Insurance Agency. "Organizations will be more aware of the use of recyclable or biodegradable packaging materials, which can be easily recycled or degraded naturally in the environment," he said.

The shift towards more sustainable packaging can be seen with the emergence of companies developing new packaging materials from plant-derived ingredients. Furniture giant IKEA, for example, said it plans to phase out plastic packaging for new products by 2025 and all products by 2028. Many other major brands are moving in the same direction.

Tip: Would you like to get involved in the retail industry? Here are eight tips for opening and building a successful retail store.

Technology will shape retail workforce management.

Recruiting and retaining quality workers is likely to remain a challenge for retailers. One way companies can adapt is by offering hybrid roles where salespeople interact with customers online, thus increasing the talent pool and reducing geographic restrictions on the workers they can hire.

Companies also need to consider new ways to manage employees on-site, said Mike Moreni, CEO of WorkForce Software, as technology will play a significant role in changing how the physical workplace operates.

"The hourly workforce has unique wage rules, staffing systems, compliance obligations and scheduling needs," he said. Companies need technology that can support their growing needs and grow with their business. [accelerate] the pandemic's adoption of new digital technologies, which can save organizations money by increasing efficiency and enhancing the experience for their employees."

did you know Did you know?: Consumers are increasingly comfortable shopping online, which means retailers need to have an e-commerce presence in order to be successful in 2023. To start your online store the right way, check out our article on Taking on the Challenges of Popular E-commerce .

US retailers need to protect consumer data

Consumer data protection will continue to be a major concern for US retailers. High-profile data breaches hurt not only retailers, but their brands. The stakes have been higher since the adoption of consumer data privacy laws such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

“With Google phasing out third-party cookies and Apple accelerating a privacy-first approach, companies of all sizes will come under increased scrutiny on how they protect customer data,” said Steffen Schebesta, CEO of global digital marketing platform Sendinblue. “My feeling is that the learning curve will be steep for American companies, and if sanctions are applied, the lessons will be costly. It will be  very messy if regulations are not enacted at the federal level.  This will force companies to deal with regulations from a state-by-state state.” . .

Although retail companies collect consumer data for valid purposes, they need to ensure that the information is highly protected from cyberattacks. Failure to keep sensitive customer data, such as financial information, can result in lawsuits and huge fines, not to mention serious damage to brand reputation and lost opportunities for future business.

Tip: Cyberattacks harm businesses in several ways. However, following cyber security best practices can help reduce the likelihood of an attack, as well as reduce damage if an attack does occur.

Small fulfillment centers bring goods closer to buyers

With the boom in e-commerce in recent years, huge fulfillment centers have become icons of the trade. More and more companies are now looking toward smaller fulfillment centers, which are much smaller facilities that can be located near the residential areas where their customers live, said Jonathan Morav, head of product strategy at Fabric Retail. It also allows businesses to take advantage of lower commercial real estate prices in downtown cities.

Unused spaces in malls and parking lots can accommodate small fulfillment centers. While the average Amazon fulfillment center is about 800,000 square feet, smaller fulfillment centers typically require less than 50,000 square feet and often go as large as 10,000 square feet, while still meeting expectations for fast and free delivery, Morav said.

Brick-and-mortar retailers will create a special customer experience

Brick-and-mortar retailers faced significant challenges as the industry expanded. Retailers have a better chance of success if they create unique and memorable customer experiences by personalizing the shopping journey and making it fun.

Personal shopping services will increase.

Personal shopping services include online pre-order and pick-up, a personal shopper who walks across the showroom floor and more. Personalized shopping services create an additional layer of customer service that can enhance the overall experience and is difficult for e-commerce stores to replicate.

Deb Gabor, CEO of Sol Marketing and author of Irrational Loyalty: Building a Brand That Thrives in Troubled Times (Lioncrest Publishing, 2019), says that small retailers, in particular, can benefit from expanding personal shopping services to their customers.

"Local and small retailers are perfect for this kind of personal experience and lead the way in this category," Gabor says.

do you know? do you know? Personalized shopping services don't just improve customer experience; They create opportunities to upsell and upsell customers to generate more revenue.

Automation pricing will continue to increase

In recent years, more and more companies have relied on automated technology to ensure that their prices are set correctly. Expect automated pricing technology to become more popular, helping retailers to reduce the amount of labor required by their employees.

Omri Troup, CEO of restaurant point-of-sale software company Toast, expects automation to play a bigger role in this area in the future. It refers to the "new wave of companies" offering service-like automation solutions. Once implemented, he said, the technology will provide "low implementation costs and [reductions] in operating costs."

“As worker shortages continue in certain regions, automation investments will continue to increase,” said Tropp. Examples for small businesses include online pricing automation to balance profitability and revenue growth, as well as inventory management systems to ensure the perfect amount of inventory is in stock.

Marketing and customer engagement will see a change.

Customers now primarily interact with small retail stores in a mobile-friendly online model. It has changed the paradigm for marketers and customer interaction professionals, and the trend will continue this year.

Social media will continue to serve customer brands.

Social media is a major driver of the customer journey and online sales for many businesses. Going forward, experts hope that hashtags and meme culture will play a large role as traditional advertising methods for successful small businesses and their younger customers. One way this happens, Gabor says, is through "creative social commerce," where platforms like TikTok and Instagram encourage online shopping.

“Social shopping, like TikTok and Instagram shoppers, is likely to continue to see explosive growth among savvy retailers,” he said. "More creative social programs...are emerging, too."

This includes experiential marketing, such as broadcasting live events through social media platforms. Whether people are engaging with brands in person or online, these types of events provide a wide range of exposure.

Influencers will continue to play a huge role.

Love them or hate them, influencers will still be a good fit for almost any retail brand. As companies highlight authentic voices, Gabor says, consumers will be able to seek leadership among these individuals.

"While consumers value honesty, sincerity, and honesty from the brands they love, influencer programs must affirm these same values," he said. “Brands will continue to be mindful that their micro-influencer campaigns focus on influencers who are authentically aligned with the values ​​and beliefs of their brands and consumers to ensure that these influencer campaigns have a meaningful impact.”

Key tip: Consumers are looking to interact with your brand from their mobile devices, and will be constantly looking for brand and product recommendations from influencers.

Key retail developments to watch out for

The economic hurdles that all companies face are perhaps most evident in the retail industry, which has gone through many difficult years of innovation and development. We expect additional adoption of new technology solutions, enhanced personalization, and creative customer engagement campaigns this year. Retailers who can take advantage of each of these trends will be in the best position to take the lead.

Berbagi :